Sausage and chicken jambalaya is the perfect blend of Creole seasoning, onions, peppers, celery, sausage, chicken, and rice. Use the Instant Pot to prepare this meal in less time than the stove top version. Tender meats, flavorful veggies, and perfectly cooked rice every time!
It’s rare that we make jambalaya, gumbo, or any Creole foods. Odd, too, because they are so tasty and always a hit.
Since purchasing the Instant Pot, we’ve already made this sausage and chicken jambalaya more times than I can count, and gumbo is in the near future!
Don’t get me wrong, I love simmering a large pot of food on the stove top. It makes the house smell wonderful and imparts so much flavor.
The reality is, I don’t always have time.
On those days, when we want a hearty dinner but don’t have time to babysit a pot on the stove, we use the Instant Pot. It’s quick, easy, and very low maintenance.
That’s kind of how we decided to make jambalaya, pork chops with gravy, and wild rice and mushroom soup.
John asked for the jambalaya, but we’ve been so busy lately that I didn’t think we’d have time to make it stove top.
The Instant Pot was a lifesaver. We took the usual ingredients like sausage, chicken, onions, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings, and adapted the process. It worked perfectly!
How to Make Instant Pot Jambalaya:
This recipe involves a lot of sautéing, so start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the oil, sausage, and chicken.
Stir until the chicken is white on the outside. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked through, just cooked on the outside.
It will cook the rest of the way later in the process. It only takes 3-5 minutes to cook the chicken.
Then use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan. Leave the Instant Pot on sauté and add the onions, celery, and peppers.
Cook just until they’re soft then add the garlic. Be careful not to overcook the garlic, or it will become bitter. Add the Creole seasonings, bay leaves, and thyme.
Carefully place the sausage and chicken back in the pot and top with rice, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
Give the jambalaya a quick stir, and close the lid. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing,” and set to high pressure (manual/pressure cook) for 10 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to natural release before doing a quick release.
After the quick release, remove the lid and stir the jambalaya. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately!
Tips for a Successful Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya:
What’s the best way to avoid a burn notice?
If needed, add a touch of extra oil in the beginning steps to keep food from sticking. Here’s a great resource that gives some tips about how to avoid a burn message.
If it looks like the ingredients are on the lower moisture side or if your Instant Pot is bad about burning rice, add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of broth from the start. Some readers report adding the extra broth and have had great results.
Additionally, if you are making this in an 8-quart, add 1 cup of extra broth. We also recommend layering the food beginning with the sauteed vegetables, add the meat next, then the rice, pour in the broth, and pour the tomatoes in last.
This will change up the way the ingredients are cooked, and you may need to cook the ingredients in batches. It may require a touch of extra broth, too, since the broth will sink below the rice.
What’s a substitution for Creole seasoning?
The important thing is to flavor it to your liking! This also goes for the other seasonings like thyme and salt.
Please use your best judgment. We used the amount that worked for our friends and family. It may not be the same for your household.
Do you add uncooked rice to jambalaya?
Can you freeze jambalaya?
Freezing does change the texture and taste slightly.
Can you make jambalaya in a slow cooker?
If you like this sausage and chicken jambalaya recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe card. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram searching for Berly’s Kitchen!
Instant Pot Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya

Sausage and chicken jambalaya is the perfect blend of Creole seasoning, onions, peppers, celery, sausage, chicken, and rice. Use the Instant Pot to prepare this meal in less time than the stove top version. Tender meats, flavorful veggies, and perfectly cooked rice every time!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable or Canola Oil
- 12 Ounces Andouille Sausage, (sliced into circular pieces)
- 1 Pound Chicken Breasts, (boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 1 Medium, Green Bell Pepper, (diced)
- 1 Medium, White Onion, (diced)
- 1 Medium Celery Stalk, (chopped)
- 5 Garlic Cloves, (chopped)
- 1 - 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning
- 3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme, (or substitute 1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme; adjust to taste)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 (14 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes, (with juices)
- 1 Cup Long Grain White Rice
- Salt and Pepper , (to taste)
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to "Saute."
- Add the oil, sausage, and chicken. Use a wooden spoon to turn, while scraping the bottom of the Instant Pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is white.
- Remove the sausage and chicken and drain on paper towels.
- Add the onions, pepper, and celery stirring with the wooden spoon while scraping the bottom. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds while continuing to stir.
- Add the Creole seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, cooked sausage and chicken, rice, tomatoes, and broth. Stir to combine.
- Close the lid, make sure the valve is set to "sealing," and set Instant Pot to high pressure (manual/pressure cook) for 10 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to natural release for 5 minutes before completing a quick release. Remove lid and stir.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
*This recipe was made in a 6-quart Instant Pot. We have not tested it in another size pressure cooker. However, according to the Instant Pot website, the 8-quart model requires significantly more liquid in order to come to pressure. Please add 1 cup additional liquid if using an 8-quart model.
*The ingredients have been adjusted after feedback from readers to increase the broth amount from 3/4 cup to 1 cup.
*See the post for tips and best practices, specifically regarding how to avoid a burn warning.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
0.5 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 337Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 533mgCarbohydrates: 21gSugar: 1gProtein: 22g
Mary
Sunday 19th of June 2022
Hi! So I am still new to the instapot world so this may be a silly question. If I can’t have rice and just wanted to add some cauliflower rice at the end…how would you adjust the amount of chicken broth? Would you still need more than 1 cup? Thank you in advance. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
John
Sunday 19th of June 2022
Good Morning Mary, that's a good question. Let me start with a disclaimer, we've never substituted cauliflower rice for long grain rice, so this is our best guess. You are correct, do not add more than one cup of chicken broth. Otherwise, you'll have jambalaya soup. You're probably already thinking of doing things this way, but I'll type it out for other readers. Once the meat and veggies are done cooking, you may need to drain away some the excess liquid. After that, use the "keep warm," setting on your Instant Pot and stir in the cauliflower rice. I hope this information helps, have a lovely weekend! :)
Karen
Thursday 26th of May 2022
This is a regular in our house. I do add a bag of frozen, riced cauliflower and no one even knows they’re getting extra vegetables!
John
Friday 27th of May 2022
That's wonderful Karen, glad to hear your family enjoys the jambalaya. Cauliflower rice sounds like tasty substitution. Have a wonderful day :)
Donna
Thursday 10th of February 2022
Oh My God!!! Made this in a cheap generic multicooker (New Zealand..) Absolutely amazing result. I used cajun seasoning and,yes,it was a little spicy but even Miss 8 & Mr 11 had seconds.... a new family favorite!
John
Friday 11th of February 2022
That's wonderful, Kim and I are glad everyone enjoyed the jambalaya. Have a lovely day!
Whitney
Saturday 29th of January 2022
Has anyone made this recipe with brown rice?
Lydia
Saturday 8th of January 2022
This was amazing, it turned out so good but glad I read the comments and reviews because I added more broth and had no problem with burn or sticking. It is spicy which we love and even more delicious the next day.
Kimberly
Saturday 8th of January 2022
Thank so much, Lydia!
We're glad you enjoyed the jambalaya and that the comments were helpful. Have a fantastic weekend! :)